Escaping Fate
by Lucy Marigold
Summary: What if Dipper and Mabel were born during Weirdmagdeon? What if it was different? Dipper Pines lives in the Resistance, a group that's been gathering every Zodiac for over twenty years while avoiding detection. When news of one of the last Zodiacs is alive and in the capital, Dipper is sent to retrieve them, unaware someone else is following right behind him.
1. Chapter 1 - Dark Beginnings

Chapter 1 - Dark Beginnings.

The deer darted forward, dodging the large demonic monster that chased it and the human that sat downwind from it, gun raised. The human figure lay crouched in the bushes, breathing slowly as he waited for the demon to cross his path. Once it did, he fired a shot, startling the birds in the trees above. It hit the demon in the chest, the creature laying sideways as it let loose animalistic cries for help. The boy pulled out a knife, stabbing it down into the throat of the being as black blood poured outwards. He removed his hood to reveal chestnut brown hair as he untied a rag from his waist. He wiped the blood off of his hands before examining the creature in front of him. It was about the size of a wolf, thick black fur fluffing up in places as it became mattered with its own blood. It looked like a wolf yet had a sharp beak of a predatory bird. "This one is new." He mumbled to himself before glancing back around. More growls and sharp caws could be heard as he darted into the green and vibrant bracken, heading towards an unmarked destination. He slipped through the trees and fauna, jumping over loose logs as the growls became closer. He pulled onto a rope, looping his foot into the cord. He glided upwards as the weight from the other end falls to the ground, blending with the environment. He climbed up the pine tree until he reached the top. He glanced across the treetops and at the orange sky above. The familiar tear in the distance an ever-present reminder of the time he lived in. The bestial noises fade away from the ground below. The figure jumped to the next tree, sliding down until he grabbed onto a thick branch. It clanked as he pulled his feet upon it. He kicked it, his body falling down as he lost balance. He skillfully guided his body into the hatch below as he used the other branches to guide himself. The hatch snapped close behind him as he stood in inky darkness for a moment. He traced a hand along the cold and metallic wall until he reached the light switch. The round lightbulb above flickered on with an electrical zap, bathing the room in a stark white light. The figure pulled off his cloak, hanging it beside the other on the wall. He turned back to the only door a second later. He swung it open, stretching his arms as his bones cracked. He walked down a grey metal corridor, rust showing in the corners of the panels. Bulbs were strung together above, glowing a pale white as they lead down the hallway.

"Ah! Dipper there you are!" A voice said, causing the boy known as Dipper to turn towards it. An older man walked forward with a smile as he grabbed the boy into a hug.

"Stan, I thought I told Cordory to inform you that I was out?" Dipper asked after being released from the hug.

"She's gone out for supplies. We discovered something new that could help us. You know where you need to be." Stan replied, scratching his chin. Dipper didn't say anything, he just nodded and continued down the hallway. He entered another room, the sound of people conversing echoing around the metallic room. Dipper entered the mess hall, people talking and eating what few rations there were. Mythological and ordinary people alike were eating finite pieces of bread and cheese. Dipper sat down at one of the empty tables, pulling out something from his bag with gentle ease. He set the notebook onto the table, pulling out a dulled and almost empty pen with it. He flicked through his notes, writing down his recent discovery. The wooden bench he sat on suddenly shifted in weight, Dipper turning to find a blonde female setting her tray down onto the table.

"What are you writing this time, Dipper Pines?" She greeted with a chuckle, breaking her single roll of bread in half.

"I encountered a different demon while out scouting. What are you up to, Pacifica?" He responded, snapping his notebook shut.

"Soos ordered me to get you and I thought I'd grab lunch. Soos is in the meeting room again by the way." Pacifica responded, munching on her bread slowly between her words. Dipper sighed, chuckling a little as he slipped his notebook back into his bag. He slung it over his shoulder as he rose from his seat.

"Thanks, Paz. I'll see you around." He waved goodbye, heading down the hallway and towards the meeting room. He stopped outside a door, turning the rusted doorknob before he swung it open. The room was just like every other room, a single wooden table sitting in the middle surrounded by an array of chairs. Maps were pinned to the wall, a large man standing in front of one of them. He was wearing a black trench coat over a shirt with a question mark painted across it. "Hello, Soos." Dipper greeted, shutting the door behind himself with a metallic clank.

"Sup, dude. Come here while we wait for Mr Pines." Soos said with a wide grin. He pointed at the Oregon map. He was pointing towards the worn red triangle that was circled in even more red ink, notes scrawled beside it. Pins were sticking out of different parts of the entire map, a gathering of seven dots were clustered on the far left of Oregon, another two pins sticking out of the triangle. There were a few more dots around the map. All of the pins had little symbols on them. The question mark, pinetree, crescent, ice bag, llama, pentagram and stitched heart were the largest group on the map.

"What is this?" He asked, scratching his head with confusion, pointing at the newest symbol on the map, the shooting star and six-fingered hand. Soos pointed at the largest cluster in the corner.

"That's all the zodiacs here. Our current location." Soos explained, he then dragged his finger towards the spectacles. "McGucket is making his way towards us, he'll be here in a week to a month." The door suddenly swung open, two people entering. A smaller boy with pale white hair sat down at the table, pulling out a massive amount of books, the other one leaning against the wall before pulling off his black hood.

"What are you talkin' 'bout Soos?" The smallest asked, opening up a book filled with maps.

"Trying to explain to Dipper about the recent discovery," Soos explained, placing a hand on his hip. "Did you two find any rations with Cordory?"

"Too many demons around. We couldn't scavenge anything. Not even Gideon could sneak past before one of them spotted us and attacked." The leaning figure said.

"Hey! Robbie, you did a good job killing that Terra-bird though." Gideon meekly commented, smiling faintly.

"You do know that Terra-birds don't travel large distances on land right? They're flying creatures that can never land." Dipper explained, pulling out his notebook.

"It landed that time," Robbie said grimly, pulling out a small pistol before loading it with more ammunition. Gideon just mildly turned back to his books as Dipper sat down in a chair. He leant back in it, legs against the table. The door swung open, Stan entering the room after he shut the door behind himself. Dipper removed his feet from the table as everyone else sat down at the table, Stan sitting at the head of the table. Dipper slipped his notebook onto the table, flicking to the most recent page, a half-drawn image on it.

"I encountered a new demon while I was out," Dipper stated, pointing at his notebook. Stan picked the notebook up in his gloved hands, flicking through it.

"Kid, how many demons are in here?" He asked a minute later, putting the notebook back onto the table.

"Two hundred and fifty-two. Most of them common in Oregon. The most common to our area are the Terra-bird, Silver-tounges and this most recent one which hasn't got a name. They hunt in packs more often than not." He flicked to the pages of each demon.

"This is why I love this kid." Stan chuckled, ruffling Dipper's hair as Soos patted Dipper on the back. "Right. Down to business." The mood suddenly shifted to a more serious one, Stan rising from his seat. He walked over to the maps, pointing at the one of Oregon. "As you all know, we know that Sixer's been stuck in the citadel for the last fifteen odd years but recent information from McGucket says that the last zodiac is somewhere in the citadel as well." He pointed at the shooting star pin, slight resentment coating his voice as he spoke.

"It'll be risky, won't it?" Gideon stated, the air in the room tense as he spoke.

"That's why I'm only sending one of you to retrieve them. Dipper, you're our best scout and our best fighter when it comes to these monsters. I'm sending you on a mission if you choose to accept it."

"What?! The twig gets to go! Cmon, Mr Pines!" Robbie complained.

"Let's not forget who beat you when he was nine, Robbie." A voice from the doorway said. Everyone turned to see a red-headed teenager leaning in the doorway. Wendy walked into the room and sat down, fixing her headband afterwards.

"No complaints, Valentino. This is the moment we've been waiting for since this nightmare began twenty years ago. Meeting dismissed." Stan snapped before exiting the room. With slight complaints, Robbie left the room as Soos and Wendy followed after him. Dipper felt something brush against his fingers. He glanced down to see a book in front of him. Open at a page.

"You might wanna read up on this, Dipper. Ya'll need it seeing where you're going." Gideon stated. Dipper picked up the book, hand-written notes on the citadel filling the entire page.

"Alright, Gideon, enough boring the kid, he already knows this stuff," Stan said, jerking the book away from Dipper.

"When do I leave?" Dipper asked, crossing his arms softly.

"Tomorrow morning. Pack what you need, you're going undercover to find the shooting star. Remember to avoid the patrols." The older man explained. Dipper nodded, rising from his spot. He left the room without another word, walking down the grey panelled hallway. He turned right and stopped at the next door. He swung it open with a yawn, tossing his bag onto the bottom bunk of the bed. He tore off his boots, dumping them by the door as Dipper sat down on the bed with a sigh. Lying down on his back, his mind racing to remember every detail he knew about the citadel, the capital of weirdness. He dug through his shirt, pulling out a necklace with dogs tags hanging from it, tracing a finger across the pinetree engraved in it. He rose from his bed a second later, flicking the radio on the table nearby on. It crackled to life, the daily propaganda squeaking from the speakers.

'_Evening you one life-span flesh sticks, your lord and saviour here, the-_' it crackled, static appearing a second later. Dipper slammed his fist against the device, the radio returning to normal. '-_Pines has increased to less torture for information. My weirdness gallery will be opening in a few weeks, you pathetic meat puppets like art, right? Remember, I'm always watching!_' The radio report ended with shrill laughter before changing to classical music. He flicked it off, lying on his back as he stared up at the bunk above him. He let loose a yawn, his eye fluttering close a moment later.

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A young woman ran through the trees, the rapid sound of her heart beating thundering in her chest. She slipped through the trees, the bundles in her arms squirming as one of them let loose cries. "Shh! Hush little one. We're almost there." She whispered, holding the bundles close. "I need to get you somewhere safe and away from him." The snarls grew louder. She reached a tree, pulling a hidden lever which opened a rusted hatch. She stashed the first one in the hatch, stuffing a letter with the bundle. She knelt down, tears running down her checks. "I'm sorry, my child. You're much safer here than in that hell." She pulled the lever again, still clinging to the other child.

"And where are you going?" A chilling voice said. She backed against a tree, clinging to her last child. A figure stepped through the folage, covered in the shadows from the canopy above. She heard growling and snarling surrounding her, wolf-like creatures surrounding the clearing. He was dressed in a black suit. His greying brown hair slicked back, the glasses on his nose making him appear even older. The women was frozen in fear, the bundle in her arms beginning to cry.

"Shh!" She hissed, holding the child closer to her chest as the man advanced forward. Her chestnut brown eyes were wide in fear as she rapidly tried to quieten the child.

"Ariel Pines. What a pleasure." The man spoke, a cane suddenly appearing as he leant against it. "What are you doing out on a day like this?" He motioned to the orange sky above with a smirk, his slitted yellow eyes taunting her. He swung the cane forward, looping the bundle in the hook. He pulled it towards himself as the woman moved forward to stop him.

"No!" She shouted, moving a hand out to grasp the rapidly moving cane. The demons growled, baring their teeth.

"Uh uh! I wouldn't do that if I were you!" He taunted, raising an eyebrow as the wolves moved closer. He grabbed onto the bundle with a six finger hand, resting it in the crook of his elbow. He pulled back the blanket to reveal a wide-eyed child. "Trying to run away with the shooting star I see. Hmmm. That won't do at all."

"Please, Cipher. Don't-" Ariel began to beg, falling to her knees.

"Don't what?" Bill Cipher's smile rose at the sight of the begging women. He moved forward until they were face to face, the demon smiling widely. "Don't you remember the rules? Running away give you the right to become a statue. I won't punish this pathetic child but I will punish you." He snapped his fingers as she began to freeze into stone, tears running down her cheeks. The baby in his arms began to cry, Bill recoiling in disgust. "Ew! You meat sacks are disgusting." He clicked his fingers, the child hovering in blue magic. An object fell to the ground with a quiet thump. Bill lowered his gaze towards the object before picking it up. It was a necklace, dog tags the only thing on the chain. He turned it over in his fingers, the engraving a shooting star on one side, words engraved on the other. "Mabel Pines." He chuckled, reading it aloud. He snapped his fingers, the shooting star changing to a triangle instead before he replaced the necklace around the chubby child's neck. She instantly grabbed the tags in her small fat fingers, sucking on the metal. "Off we go then." He spoke to no one in particular, walking back the way he came.

The trees swayed around the clearing, the sky darkening as night set in. A figure climbed down a tree, stumbling to the ground with a loud thunk. "AH!" He screamed, landing on his side. He slowly rose, looking around the area for something. "Ah ha! I found it! You still got it, Stan." He whispered to himself when he found the hidden lever. He pulled it, the rusted hatch slowly opening to revealing a sleeping child wrapped in a torn blanket. There was a note pinned to the blanket. The man pulled the child out of the hole, squinting to look at the note. He looked down at the child a second later before rising from his crouching position. He walked across the clearing, looking for another hidden lever. He pulled it, another hatch appearing. He glanced into the second hole to find nothing inside. He glanced back at the note with slight confusion. There was a sudden growl and the sound of something crashing through the undergrowth. "Crap." He hissed, holding the blue bundle closely as he fled into the forest.


	2. Chapter 2 - Discovering Another

**A/N I want to thank 618gnomes for following this story and your review. I should have divided the paragraphs into better chucks but that's something I know I need to improve. Thanks, and enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2 - Discovering Another.**

Dipper slipped through the shadowy bracken, stepping lightly over branches and thistles that littered the ground. He pulled out a compass, checking the direction he was heading. His trench coat was torn from travelling for days. Dipper paused for a moment, watching the sun rising in the sky. He pulled out his notebook and pen, drawing another tally down. He had been travelling for at least two weeks. He would reach the capital in a matter of minutes. The shadows still coated the ground as he kept alert, walking through and around flora. A hare darted from a bush nearby, a cat stalking past it.

Dipper continued his journey, climbing up a steep hill. He stood atop the hill, glancing down at the view before him. A massive triangular pyramid floated in the sky, made out of black bricks. The tear in the sky was even larger than at the Resistance's base. The land below it was an entire city of black bricks, people only just waking up. A massive wall surrounded the city, the wall surrounded completely by trees, the distance a complete wasteland on the other side. He pulled off his pack, slipping behind a tree as he removed something from inside. He pulled out a pair of glasses and a container. He clicked open the container, pulling out the coloured contact lenses. Gently, he slipped them onto his eyes before placing the false glasses on the bridge of his nose. He put the container away, picking his pack back up and swing it onto his shoulder. Dipper walked down the hill towards the citadel's massive gates. The gates loomed above him, made of iron and built of more black brick.

"Who goes there? Identification!" A male voice shouted. A guard stood on the other side of the gate, completely decked out in black armour made of fibreglass. He wore a helmet that prevented Dipper from seeing his face.

"Tyrone. Tyrone Forrester." Dipper lied, digging through his pockets in search of a false ID. He pulled it out, passing it over to the guard. The guard looked at it for a while, glancing up at Dipper whilst doing so. He tapped it in his hand before speaking.

"Alright kid. You can come through. Have a good day." The guard stated, passing the card back. Slowly, the gates rattled open, revealing the city to Dipper. He walked through, nodding at the guard before heading down the cobblestone street.

Demons and humans alike were patrolling the street, posters of Bill pasted on every wall. He arrived at the centre of the town, a massive statue of the triangular overlord in the centre. People were already buzzing around, young children darting between the crowds. Suddenly, Dipper felt someone bump into him, causing him to lose his balance. He fell to the ground before he looked at who had disrupted his walking. A girl around his age stood there, surprised and startled. Something then jumped onto him, giving him a massive lip with its tongue, his glasses going askew. Dipper looked down to see a pink coloured pig on his lap.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry! Waddles doesn't have any boundaries!" She squeaked out, pulling the pig off of him.

"It's alright," Dipper replied, rising to his feet before wiping off the saliva and dust that he had gathered on his trip. The young girl looked around the age of twelve, her chestnut brown hair below her waist. What put Dipper off was her sweater. It was a pale yellow, a single shooting star in the centre. "Shooting star…" He whispered under his breath.

"Uh pardon me? I'm Mabel by the way. Are you new around here or something?" She asked, tapping her fingers together awkwardly.

"Oh! Yes! I'm… Tyrone." Dipper was snapped back to reality when she spoke, shaking his head. "That's a nice sweater you've got." He pointed at her sweater and she blushed, trying to cover it up.

"It's uh nothing. So what brings you to the Citadel?"

"Just looking for someone." He was intrigued by her sweater. He knew the fashion of the capital, yellow and black were common. But what caused so many red flags was the multicoloured shooting star.

"Oh. Okay. Do you want someone to hang out with while you look, Tyrone?" Dipper knew he didn't need to find the shooting star anymore. He had a large hunch this girl in front of him was the shooting star.

"Sure." He nodded, walking down the street, Mabel, the shooting star, following beside him as she began to ramble.

"So my uncle told me, you can't go outside unless you clean your room and I said I would. My uncle is pretty cool. People respect him a lot. He's not actually my uncle, he's like my great uncle or something. He calls me his little shooting star. Who are you looking for again?" Mabel stopped, pouting while looking at Dipper. "Is it-" Dipper suddenly pulled her into a dark alley, pushing her up against the corner wall to avoid the cameras. "What-"

"Shhhhh! I need you to be quiet before I tell you this." Dipper held a finger against her lips, silencing her. She nodded, fear appearing in her eyes. "My name isn't Tyrone and the person I'm looking for is you."

"Me? Why me?" She whispered back, clinging tightly to her pig.

"My name is Dipper Pines, I'm a member of the Resistance and you're one of the last Zodiacs we need to find." He explained, removing his glasses.

"P-Pines…? That's my last name." Her eyes went wide with realization. There was sudden shouting, people appearing at the entrance to the alleyway.

"IT'S HIM! GET HIM!" One shouted, raising their guns.

"Shit." He swore, grabbing onto her arm, running down the other end. Bullets flew past, luckily not hitting them. They burst into a market place, Mabel screaming about her pig again.

"I need to go back to get Waddles!"

"He'll be fine, you will not!" He glanced over his shoulder to see a large squadron of guards appearing where they once were. He jumped onto one the stall tables, knocking whatever was on it off. He jumped across stalls, jumping down a minute later. He dodged under beams of bamboo and wood, bursting through sheets of cloth. He turned left, knocking down a cart behind the pair of them. Dipper swung Mabel onto another table, following behind her. "Get onto the wall!" He pointed to the wooden wall beside the scaffolding. She began to climb up, Dipper turning around as his trench coat dramatically flared behind him. He flicked his wrist down, pulling out a pistol as he aimed it towards the fleet of guards. He fired a shot, a guard instantly going down. The guard's comrades paused for a moment.

"FORGET HIM! GET THAT TRAITOR!" One of them shouted, pushing his co-workers out of the way. Dipper fired more shots, hitting another guard. He looked up to see bamboo holding up a stack of wood. Dipper shot at the bamboo joint, the entire thing collapsing on the guards. He vaulted himself up to the wall with ease, grabbing onto Mabel's hand once he was up. They ran over the scaffolding, vanishing into the building that was being constructed via an open window. They climbed down the ladder, their feet crunching against the ground. Mabel stood on the marble flooring, breathing in deeply as her hands rested on her knees.

"That was….. " She breathed out, unable to believe what she just saw.

"Normal?" He chuckled out, leaning against the wall while reloading his gun.

"HEH?! You just killed someone and that's normal?! You tell me your someone who's highly wanted before grabbing me and running through the dawn market?!" She was shouting now, panicking.

"Listen, I'm the one who's gonna get you out of this hell hole otherwise I'll fail my mission. Get used to it." He stated. She fell silent, sitting down on the floor. Dipper looked at their surroundings with slight excitement. They were in the unfinished art gallery, a massive abstract statue of Bill in the centre. There was a skylight above, domed and circular. Pillars surround the room, a massive archway acting as the only other exit. Suddenly, the glass above smashed in, guards repealing from above as they surround the two pre-teens. "Shit. You know, I really thought you people were stupider than you seemed." He chuckled, looking at their raised guns. Dipper rapidly thought of a way out, glaring in the direction of a figure that emerged from the shadows.

"I was wondering when you'd show up, Dipper Pines." The woman spoke as her shoes stamped against the ground. Dipper turned towards Mabel who had frozen up and paled considerably. "Oh, there you are Mabel." Candy Chu pulled out her gun from its holster. "You've caused quite a stir this morning, Dipper. You never cease to disappoint, do you? How long has it been?"

"About five years if I remember correctly, you traitorous bitch. Well, congrats, you caught me! Not like that will do you any good. They trained me well. My question is how did a twelve-year-old girl get to be the captain of the guards?" Dipper rebutted with a smirk, hands on his hip. He slipped his gun gently into his right hand as Candy began to rant.

"As arrogant as ever. I noticed you met Mabel. What are you up to this time, Pines?" Candy questioned. "Guards, contain Dipper Pines and escort Mabel back to her home," she said with the snap of her fingers. Dipper suddenly pulled out his gun, firing at one of the guards. He fell to the ground with a thump, the other guards reacting in surprise. Before they could shot back, Dipper shot another, sliding under the legs of one when they ran forward to tackle him. He picked up a gun that had fallen, firing both at the same time. Two and then four went down, the remaining four charging at him.

"Get a better tactic, guys," Dipper said with an eye roll as he stepped to the side, the four guards crashing into the statue. He fired his gun into their bodies, each of them dying one after the other. He swung his pistol his hand, dropping the other gun to the ground. Candy still stood, her pistol raised.

"Ah uh! You aren't going anywhere." Candy snapped. He allowed her to charge forward, slamming him against another pillar. He grunted as he felt her dig her elbow in his ribcage. He pulled his gun up to her shoulder, firing his before she could. Candy stumbled backwards, her shoulder already bleeding heavily. He shot her in the knee, the pre-teen collapsing to the ground.

"STOP!" Mabel screamed, running over to the fallen girl. She tore off parts off of her sweater and wrapped them around Candy's shoulder tightly before tightly binding her knee.

"Fine. I'll leave her alive. But you're coming with me, Princess."

"Look after Waddles for me." Mabel said with a regretful look at Candy. Dipper walked over to her, looking her dead in the eye. He bound her wrist tightly with rope.

"Bill will come after you! He'll-" She began to shout but Dipper shoved a piece of cloth into her mouth as she spoke.

"Cmon. We need to get moving before Bill gets here." Dipper stated, slipping his gun back into its holster. He grabbed Mabel's arm as they exited the way they came in, the sun now high in the sky. He slipped his scarf over his mouth as he watched the girl climb through the window and down the wall. They walked through the market, people picking up their scattered wares. Dipper spotted a baked goods stall and walked over to it. He pulled out what coin he had, counting it in the palm of his hand. "How much for twenty loaves of bread?" He asked, the baker.

"Twenty coins." He responded, already bagging up the bread. Dipper smiled, it was much cheaper than the market near the Resistance. He passed over the coin, the man passing back the sack of bread.

"Nice doing business with you, sir," Dipper said as he walked off, Mabel meekly trailing behind him. "What's got you all spooked?"

"How about you?" Mabel snapped, straightening herself. "You just murdered a bunch of people and now your acting completely normal." She whispered as the walked past a fruit stall. Dipper picked up an apple, passing the women at the stall a silver coin before continuing to walk.

"It's normal for me. Not everyone got the chance to live in the Citadel." He bit in the apple, looking at her without emotion. "While you were growing up in the comfort of this place, I grew up out there. Past these gates, there are deadlier demons. Demons that could tear a grown man in two. Trust me, I've seen it, Princess." He bitterly responded. "And that's where we're going."

"No! I don't want to! I've got people who care about me that live here." Mabel snapped quietly as they walked through alleyways, Mabel abruptly stopping.

"Fine Maple, get caught. The cameras record everything. Get executed for all I care." Dipper snapped, already frustrated by her. He grabbed her by her arm, pulling her close and he unravelled something from his bag. "You don't have a choice." He bound her wrists, despite her protests. He pulled the sweater over to cover most of it.

"My name is Mabel, not Maple." She grumbled. He rolled his eyes, digging through her pockets as he grabbed her ID card.

"Whatever. We're almost at the gates. Act normal." He hissed, pointing at the large metal barrier blocking there way. The entire thing was swarming with guards, guns raised and clearly alert. "You kidding me?" He complained, instantly changing direction. He looked at the streets turning right and then left as he dragged Mabel behind him. He looked around, spotting a symbol graffitied on the wall. He smiled, walking toward it as he counted the bricks.

"What are you doing?" Mabel complained, crossing her arms the best she could. He pressed his fingers against the dark brick wall, tracing along a grove. He felt a bump and he firmly pressed down on it.

"Finding a secret passage." He said with a smirk as the wall shifted to reveal a downwards tunnel that disappeared into the inky darkness. "Cmon Princess." He grabbed her rope bindings and pulled her down into the darkness. The entrance closed behind them, showering them in dust. Dipper rummaged through his pockets to find a box of matches. He pulled a match out, striking it alight to illuminate the tunnel. It was made completely of dirt, wooden beams holding it up.

"How long has this been here?" Mabel asked as they walked through the tunnel, nothing but darkness ahead of them.

"A few years. It can only be accessed from the inside, sadly." There was rumbling up ahead, the roof shaking as specks of dirt fell to the ground.

"Right." She shakingly replied, shifting her wrists a bit as they continued down the dark and foreboding tunnel.


	3. Chapter 3 - Back To Base

**A/N After a long time, this is finally getting a new chapter. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 3 - Back To Base.**

Dipper Pines stepped over the dead carcass of a deer, gingerly allowing the girl who accompanied him to react with a grimace as he lead her through the dying undergrowth. After a week worth of traveling, she still hadn't gotten used to traveling. "Seriously, it's much worse than you'd expect it. Be glad we haven't encountered any creatures other than rabbits." Dipper snapped. He didn't want to be stuck on a stupid mission with a stuck up princess like Mabel Pines. Even if she was the one he was to save.

"Sorry sorry sorry." She meekly said, holding her still bound hands close to her chest. Dipper flicked a small dagger out of his pocket, grabbing her arm. "What-"

"Just hold still." He roughly sliced at the rope binding her wrists together as the rope slide to the ground. "You're more of a liability tied up." He placed the dagger back into his pocket, stepping over a dead tree branch as he did so. He paused, looking out at the horizon. Maple or whatever her name was, stopped rapidly behind him. Before them stretched a horrid landscape that seemed to be made of human skin, completely barren of cover. He heard his companion making a gagging noise.

"W-What is that..?" He turned to her as she paled considerability at the sight of it.

"A valley made of human flesh and body parts. It's gonna get a lot worse than this, I assure you, Princess." Dipper continued walking down the hill, Mabel stumbling to follow after him. She gingerly eased her foot around a jutting eyeball with a grimace. Dipper wasn't phased by it at all. He stepped past the gaping mouths and arching noses that appeared through the fleshy valley.

Eventually, after a long and grueling walk, they reached the other end, a large hill. Dipper pulled out a notebook from his bag along with a drained and worn pen. He jotted down a few things before snapping the book shut. He stuffed it back into his bag before looking up at the sky, the sun almost reaching sunset. He motioned for Mabel to follow him down the second hill. The landscape changed by the time they stepped foot on flat land. Trees made out of steel, metal and other technological advancements replaced the forest. A forest made of modern technology instead stretched across the horizon. Old skyscrapers that had somehow made their way there, were buried into the ground and were horribly smashed together, looking like titled buildings that were somehow able to stay upright despite the instability it showed.

"What is this place? What is-" Mabel spluttered out, ducking under a tangle of wires.

"Do I have to explain every single place we go to? Just shut up and walk. We'll waste time if you keep rambling. Not to mention that you're attracting every single predator in the area by not shutting the hell up!" Dipper snapped, finally having enough. He stormed through the mechanical undergrowth in a fit of rage, jumping over beams as he pushed his way through. He had thrown stealth out of the window.

"I'm sorry. I'm-" She mumbled out, following swiftly behind him. She let loose a breath as she spoke, trying desperately to keep up with the fitter pre-teen. "-Just not used to this." Mabel breathed out, swatting away a loose USB cord.

"I didn't ask for this mission. I didn't ask to drag your sorry ass through the weirdness. You're fucking lucky nothing has tried to kill us." Dipper grunted, emerging from the trees to find himself standing by one of the skyscrapers. He paused, looking intently at the environment. Dipper walked over to the side of a building, tracing his gloved hands against the window pane as he stared at the claw marks that were cut deeply into the building.

"I didn't ask for this either!" Mabel screamed, watching as Dipper pulled his notebook back out. He flicked through a few pages as she spoke. "Look, I don't know how we're related at all. All I know is that you're probably my cousin or something. I-" Dipper suddenly jerked a hand over her mouth, raising a finger up to silence her.

"Shh! We need to get out of her, quickly." He whispered, panic in his voice. He jerked her arm forward as he ran, ducking under beams as they ran from some unknown threat. Dipper slipped under a building, fallen beams stretching overhead, barely enough room for them to stand. pulling Mabel along with him. She suddenly yelped, jerking backwards. Dipper glanced back, seeing that her sweater sleeve had gotten caught on a loose piece of metal, pulling her back at least three inches. She was frantically trying to free herself. And then they heard it. A low growl coming from above, small pieces of debris falling in front of them.

A shadow leaked through the gaps in the makeshift roof, showing that there was indeed something above them. Dipper raised a finger up to his lips, slowly slipping his gun from its holster. He aimed it upwards as Mabel continued to struggle. Mabel pulled herself free, running over to Dipper instantly as the roof above where she was second ago collapsed. A jet black creature emerged from the dust, lurching towards them. As it did so, another piece of rubble came down, pinning the creature to the ground. It resembled a panter, only it's skin seemed to be made of leather. It let loose a hiss before it lowered it head. Electric blue blood seeped onto the ground around the creature. It whimpered a second later.

"What is that?!" Mabel screeched, recoiling. Dipper checked his gun for a second before responding.

"A Silver-tongue. Commonly solo hunters. They hunt in packs sometimes though. Typically use stealthy methods of attack. Weak spots are their tongues and eyes." Dipper explained, aiming his pistol towards the creature. Without hesitating, Dipper shot the Silver-tongue in the eyes, the creature letting loose a roar of pain before it finally lay still. Mabel was shaking beside him.

"Why…?" She whispered, staring at the corpse with slight sorrow.

"It's easier this way. C'mon. We wasted too much time." He dragged her by the arm, leading her out of the rubble. They silently walked until they reached the edge of the environment, normal woodland stretching out in front of them for at least a mile or two until the weirdness seemed to leak into the earth again. Dipper knew it was at least five more day and night of travel until they reached the Resistance, cursing himself to agreeing to this mission.

After an hour of travel and entering three different environments, night finally fell. Dipper sat down, pulling out a lighter as he lit the small amount of timber he had gathered. It wasn't cold enough to need blankets. They were fortunate for that. Dipper broke the piece of bread in half, the fresh bread making his stomach groan. He passed half of the loaf over to his companion, watching as she greedily ate it, leaving no crumbs left. "When was the last time you ate?" He asked, pulling out a flask as he took a sip. The woodland around them was silent except for the crickets that echoing around. The fire crackled, sparks flying as Mabel raised her head up to look at Dipper.

"A week. It was a punishment." She quietly spoke, rubbing her arms. She was hiding something. Dipper scoffed, taking a bite out of his bread before stretching his arms.

"What did you do to earn that punishment, Princess?" He pried, looking at her with unamusement.

"Nothing. I'd rather not talk about it." She coldly responded, glancing out into the wilderness around them. Dipper slipped out a piece of jerky, passing it over to her. Dipper looked at the twigs and torn treads in her sweater, gaining a useful idea.

"Give me your sweater." He demanded.

"W-What?!" She sputtered out, recoiling from him as if he just asked her to do something disgusting.

"I said, give me your sweater." Dipper repeated, his voice hard and slightly condescending. Begrudgingly, she slipped out of her sweater to reveal her white singlet top underneath. Dipper pulled out his dagger, grabbing one of the sleeves. He tore through the end despite her words of protest. He repeated the progress until the once long sleeve sweater was now shorter and less likely to get caught on anything. And then he looked up and saw her bare arms before staring. The young girl's arms were littered with healed and fresh cuts. Some of which look only a week old. Mabel didn't seem to realize that he had noticed, rather she just continued to nibble on the salty meat in her hand. He slowly passed her sweater back.

"Why did you remove the sleeves? I like sleeves." She grumbled, looking in dismay at the sweater in her arms.

"You'll get caught on something again. We cannot take that risk." He responded, a hint of sadness in his voice. Dipper didn't know if those wounds on Mabel's arms were self-inflicted or not. He had seen too many people throwing away their lives during his lifetime. Too many lives were lost because of the nightmarish and hellish way they had to survive. He decided not to bring it up as the two of them sunk into silence. Mabel was fiddling with something that he couldn't see."What's that you've got?" He asked, slightly interested.

"Oh. Just my dog tags. T-They're nothing… " She mumbled, glancing back down at them while bite her lip. "It just says a pair of names… nothing big. I suppose the other person it just someone else related to us." She grew even quieter, staring down at them with a slightly sorrowful and whimsical look.

"I've got a pair two." Dipper reached under his scarf, pulling forward his own pair. "You know, I thought it was odd when I first learned of your name but now I understand." He unlactched his chain, showing her his. "Your name is on mine."

"B-But your name is Dipper!" She sputtered out, looking at his tags before glancing at her own.

"It's just a nickname." He awkwardly chuckled, face flushing as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Then… " Mabel scrunched her face as she thought, trying to connect the dots.

"We are siblings. Twin's to be exact." He explained, pulling out his notebook and opening it to a page with lines sketched as they linked different names. Their family tree lay before them, years of information poured out in ink.

Dipper pointed to his name, drawing a line connecting his to Mabel's own. He traced a finger along a line above, stopping at a pair of names. The first was '_Ariel'_. The second one was linked to the rest of the names, the name of a man, '_Alexander_.' "Those two seem to be our parents. I have no clue what happened to either of them." The line continued to go up until it reached a man named '_Shermie'_, two other names beside it. One of which Mabel seemed to know.

"Grunkle Ford…"


	4. A 2020 Update For All

**A/N**

**Why hello everyone following this story. You're probably wondering where the rest of it has gone? Well, mid-way through 2019, I swapped over to AO3 to upload my stories there. The platform certainly does have an easier way to upload than but I won't hold that against it.**

**Anyway, if you indefinitely want to continue to read this story, I suggest you head over to my account on AO3 as I won't be upload much on here anymore at all. The story is titled the same and my account is under the same username. **

**-Lucy.**


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